RSJ Terms & Conditions
By attending any Reading Swing Jam (RSJ) event, which includes but isn’t limited to workshops, classes or socials, you are agreeing to abide by the following Terms & Conditions, including the RSJ Code of Conduct (scroll on for details).
The RSJ Committee reserves the right to expel you from a venue, or even an entire event without issuing any refund, as well as ban you from future events should you fail to comply with any of the following Terms & Conditions listed.
RSJ STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Reading Swing Jam Committee aims to organise and host swing dance events for the enjoyment of swing dancers from near and far.
The RSJ Committee will do their best to ensure that events are inclusive and accessible and where possible implement guidelines and procedures to ensure the happiness, health and safety of all RSJ guests, volunteers, DJs, musicians, teachers and organisers.
DISCLAIMER
Wherever possible RSJ committee and volunteers will work to make RSJ as safe an environment as possible for all attendees.
All attendees are responsible for their own health, wellbeing and belongings during their attendance at Reading Swing Jam events. RSJ cannot accept any liability for injury/accident/illness or lost/stolen belongings caused whilst at attending any activity hosted by RSJ.
RSJ CODE OF CONDUCT
All Welcome!
All dancers are welcome at RSJ events regardless of their gender/gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance and religion.
Speak No Evil!
Please speak to each other kindly, politely and respectfully. Misogynist, misandrist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or racist language will not be tolerated.
Respect Physical Boundaries!
Everyone at an RSJ event is expected to respect the bodies of other people. This means:
- Do not touch someone without asking permission.
- Stop if someone asks you to stop touching them.
- Give others space and time alone if they need it.
“Would you like to dance?”
Please ask someone to dance using your words – that gives them the chance to accept or decline with their words. Gestures amongst good friends are fine if they’re ok with this. There is no protocol beyond this to be adhered to – anyone can ask anyone to dance, regardless of dance role, gender or experience level.
If someone declines to dance with you, be ok with that. Understand that no one is obliged to dance with you under any circumstances.
“Yes, please!” & “No, thank you.”
If you are asked to dance and you want to do so, offer enthusiastic consent – “Yes, please!”.
If you are asked to dance and you don’t want to, reply with a polite “No, thank you.” You do not have to justify your answer.
Floorcraft & Aerials
Please take care of yourself and look out for your dance partner and the other dancers in your vicinity. If a collision happens, stop dancing and check that everyone is ok before continuing to dance. If not someone is hurt, comfort the injured or seek first aid on their behalf. If yes everyone is ok, acknowledge the accident with an apology and continue to dance, amending any behaviour likely to cause a repeat collision (e.g. dance smaller, keep kicks and arms in check, be more vigilant etc.).
The RSJ Committee will do our best to assist our guests with this by providing deodorants for our guests’ use in the toilets, hand sanitiser gel and breath mints by the food/drinks tables. Refrain from executing any aerials, lifts, or drops/dips on the social dance floor unless entering into a jam circle. You must have verbal consent from each dance partner before you do any aerials, lifts or drops/dips. Past consent does not count – ask them again.
Personal Hygiene
As dancing often requires physical and sometimes close contact, you are expected to take reasonable care to ensure good personal hygiene. This may include bathing and brushing teeth regularly, carrying suitable changes of clothing and deodorant.
HARASSMENT POLICY
In the UK, harassment (including sexual harassment) is considered a form of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Discrimination which is against the Equality Act is unlawful. Harassment is described as unwanted behaviour which you find offensive or which makes you feel intimidated or humiliated.
Harassment can include but is not limited to:
- spoken or written words or abuse
- offensive emails, tweets or comments on social networking sites
- images and graffiti
- physical gestures
- facial expressions
- jokes
Sexual harassment can be obvious or indirect, intentional or unintentional, physical or verbal, repeated or one-off, and perpetrated by males and females against people of any sex.
If you harass someone in any way, you may be asked to leave and you may be banned from other events managed by the organising team; the police may be notified, and this is at our discretion. We do not have to give you a second chance.
If something has happened, if you aren’t sure, if you think something is creepy, if something makes you feel uncomfortable and you want a second opinion, or if you see something and you’ve got a hunch, seek out a member of the RSJ committee and ASK for advice. We WILL act immediately on your reports or complaints.
Consent Guidelines
- Ask for verbal consent: “Would you like to dance?”
- Even if you’ve been given consent at a previous occasion, ask every time and use your words.
- Be ok with people saying no and don’t press them to justify their reply. “No thank you” is all the answer they need to give you.
- Aim for enthusiastic consent.
- If someone says “stop!” – on or off the dance floor – you must stop immediately.
- Pay attention to your dance partners. Be careful not to touch their ‘private’ zones, and take all care to avoid hurting them on and off the dance floor.
ALCOHOL POLICY
The legal drinking age in the UK is 18 years old. Supplying alcohol to a minor is illegal. It will not be tolerated, we reserve the right to expel you immediately from the event.
If you are drinking, you are expected to drink responsibly, and you must not drive. Please approach a member of the committee who can call you a cab if necessary. If you become so inebriated as to behave inappropriately or in any way that brings risk to yourself or others, you may be asked to leave the venue.
Each of our venues for social dances has a different Alcohol Policy, as shown on our website and in event listings. If you wish to drink alcohol, please make yourself familiar with and adhere to these individual policies and if in doubt please check with a member of the RSJ committee. Ignorance is not an excuse; non-compliance will result in your immediate expulsion from the venue.
Please note: There is no alcohol in classes or workshops.
COVID POLICY
Attendees of our events agree to take all reasonable precautions and follow government guidelines to avoid the spread of illness amongst our community.
Attendees are strongly encouraged to complete a lateral flow test in advance of attending and are kindly requested to not attend events if they are feeling unwell or have tested positive for Covid. In the event of a guest having to isolate, a refund will be issued (minus booking fees).
Good personal hygiene is expected at all events, including regular hand sanitisation. Use of masks is encouraged during times of high case counts or areas of limited ventilation or high foot fall.
Reading Swing Jam 